Health&Wellness Magazine May 2015 | Page 11

For advertising information visit www.samplerpublications.com or call 859.225.4466 | May 2015 Drugs That Affect Bone Health Are your medications wreaking havoc on your bones? By Angela S. Hoover, Staff Writer Preserving bone health is a concern for everyone, but even more so for individuals with osteoporosis or those who are at risk for it. While some medications are good for the bones, others can have negative side effects on healthy bones. In these scenarios, it’s best to consider the pros and cons of any medication that could damage bone health. Sometimes a bone-maintenance drug can be prescribed to offset the risk if the other medication must be continued. Here are some classes of drugs that affect bone health: Antidepressants Anti-Cancer Drugs Bone Maintenance Drugs Aromatase inhibitor drugs are given to some breast cancer patients. These include anastrozole (Arimidex), exemestane (Aromasin) and letrozole (Femara). They target the body’s aromatase to lower estrogen levels in an effort to halt estrogen-fueled cancers. However, lowering estrogen levels can be bad for the bones because estrogen stops bone resorption. Men being treated for prostate cancer are sometimes prescribed anti-androgen therapy that includes the drugs bicalutamide (Casodex), flutamide (Eulexin) and nilutamide (Nilandron). These drugs block the action of testosterone in an effort to slow prostate cancer growth, but they can decrease bone density and increase fracture risk. SSRI antidepressants such as citalopram (Celexa), fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil) and sertraline (Zoloft) increase the risk of fractures for those who take them. In fact, a study found that those taking SSRI antidepressants were twice as likely to have a fracture than those not taking an SSRI. Another study found that women with a history of depression who had taken SSRIs had lower bone density compared to those who did not take an SSRI. In an ironic twist, certain bonemaintenance drugs can cause a greater chance of an uncommon fracture of the thigh bone after long-term use. Bisphosphonates, a type of osteoporosis drug, include alendronate (Binosto and Fosamax), ibandronate (Boniva), risedronate (Actonel and Atelvia) and zoledronic acid (Reclast). If someone has been taking a bisphosphonate for five years, the person should check with his or her doctor about switching to another bone-maintenance drug. Safer alternative drugs for osteoporosis and bone maintenance include denosuman (Prolia